A tale of two technicians
by Sara Loui
Summary: Two technicians, in control of two completely different parts of the SGC. Siler and Walter tell their stories as two technicians of SGC. new story added R&R please
1. Siler and the elevator

DISCLAIMER: "Stargate SG-1" and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

"Siler, you down there?"

Walter Harriman's voice drifted down the lift shaft to Siler, who was poised above the carriage, oil can in one hand, wrench in the other. Pausing for a moment, he dropped his head and sighed to his radio. Why did everyone insist on shouting for him instead of using the little nifty thing to get his attention. Siler frowned to himself, and where else would he be but the elevator shaft, he had told Walter he would be working here for the next few hours. Rolling his eyes he looked up the long shaft to where Walter's head peered out at an awkward angle.

"Yeah Walter?"

"The General is asking how long you'll be?"

"Won't be too much longer" Siler replied, setting back to work on the carriage. "Gimme a minute"

He jimmied a few cables and sprayed the oil can into a few nooks and crannies, before standing up and surveying his work.

"Whoa"

Siler shot his head back upwards to the cry, and saw a body flailing to regain balance where Walter's head had just been protruding. A few papers and a clipboard drifted down to him and landed at his feet.

"You ok Doctor Jackson?" he shouted up, trying not to laugh as the leg and arm which had wrapped themselves around one edge of the open doorway retracted to safe ground.

"Fine" came back the answer from a miffed Daniel.

Siler, setting down his wrench, sorted the papers into a pile at his feet, before standing once more and clicking his radio into gear.

"Ok guys" he said, banging his foot onto the roof of the elevator "Lets take her for a ride. Take her up two floors"

"Yes Sir" came back the crackled reply.

Siler poised himself for the initial ascent, and the carriage rumbled into gear, shuddering for a moment before moving upwards, with himself perched atop. Satisfied with his work, Siler grabbed the wrench and slipped it into his workbelt, before picking up the papers Daniel had dropped a few moments earlier. Settling them under his arm for a moment he clicked back onto his radio.

"Ok guys, keep her parked here until I get everything cleared up."

With that, holding the papers and clipboard in one hand, he managed to manouvere himself up the short distance of ladder in the shaft to the open elevator door above him. Once there, he handed Daniel his papers before hauling himself fully from the shaft.

"Thanks Seargant" mumbled Daniel, a little self conscious about his near fall to join him on the carriages roof.

"No problem Doctor Jackon. They may be a little oiled up there" replied Siler pointing to the papers now back in safe possesion of Daniels hands.

"That's ok" replied Daniel, glancing at the still open elevator doors.

"Don't worry Sir, they'll be back up and running pretty soon. Right now everyones being directed to the maintenance shafts until these are sorted."

"Yeah I remember the memo" mumbled Daniel, nodding his goodbye before turning and waltzing off down the corridor.

Siler grinned and watched the retreating form before fiddling with the elevator door controls from the small network of wires behind a panel. The doors slid safely and securely shut. Keying in an acess code to make sure no-one would open them as he made the small walk back to the security office, he made his own wayin the opposite direction.

"Siler"

He paused and looked around, eyeing Walter once more. He waited until the Seargant caught up.

"Walter"

"You all done?"

"Yeah just finishing up now" replied Siler, smiling at the way Walter always asked the most obvious of questions

"Great, the General's starting to get complaints from the maintenance staff about all the traffic going on on in their lifts."

"Yeah and when it comes to fixing up those elevators, everyone will be complaining that the regular elevators are being used continuously to bring in the food orders and the weapon shipments, and the stationary supplies"

Walter nodded in agreement as they entered the office buzzing with activity from the numerous machines. This was Silers haven, few entered it apart from work crews wondering what needed fixing next. With controls to most things technical and his responsibility, each computer, switchboard had it's own job to do. And Siler was the only one to know what did what without having to glance at guides. When Siler had to stay longer than a day or two at the infirmary, there were groans around the mainteance staff as to who would oversee this control room for the day, and he had regular visits from members asking what was to be done.

Walter and he were on that same level of understanding, they were certainly part of a team of well trained staff and experts, but in those control rooms, whether it be running elevator shafts and lights of corridor 2c, or sending off SG teams to worlds unknown there were none more trusted than Walter Harriman and Sylvester Siler.

Siler hit a few buttons and signalled onto his radio a third time to the work staff in the elevator.

"OK guys, take her for a ride, ascend her first. Stop at each level on the way. Once topside bring her right down"

"Shouldn't be much longer" he said turning his attention back to Walter, who was finding interest in a lone motherboard lying atop a bench.

"Hows it coming along" asked Walter, waving his hand over the motherboard.

"I don't know how you manage to keep screwing it up Walter" he replied dryly

Walter shrugged, and glanced back down at the bench, where the remnants of his computer lay disassembled once more.

"I think I've got it sussed, I'll bring it over tonight" said Siler

"Great, thanks" replied Walter

"Everything ok?" asked Siler, concerned at his friends unusual quietness

"Nothing...just...someone...you know that new kid we had assigned to us?"

Siler knew of the new technician, who had been assigned to Walters unit and wondered if this was the 'kid' Walter was refferring too.

"Lieutenant Stark?"

Walter nodded and pursed his lips together.

"What about him?" pressed Siler

"He adjusted my chair"

Siler had to hold back a slight grin at Walters indignant fface at this comment.

"And...I was running some routine tests, nothing too important, and he goes and cancels them saying they were too time consuming and he needed to get some other things done he would do them later"

Siler wondered how the kid had managed to stay around the two weeks he had. Walter had a routine he liked to follow, when it came to his work, like himself, Walter ruled with strict guidelines. Siler could relate to that, Walter had an even more demanding job than his own, and his was to keep the SGC running 24/7 with the best of efieceny, (not the easiest thing to do when it was under sctrutiny from the pentagon as well as attack from numerous sources out there in the galaxy). Walter took his job with all seriousness off what his was, it wasn't about the dialling sequence, or the iris, of how many chevrons locked, it was teams lives. Walter was there at the frontline of home along with the rest of men and women of the SGC. A minor infringment of routine diagnostics may not seem much to a new snot nosed kid coming in fresh from the academy, but Walters system worked in way that if routine went without a break, it was one less thing to worry about in the whole scheme of things.

And with General O'Neill taking over Hammond, Walter had went out of his way to make sure the bases were covered when it came to the need to know information the General needed. Not only was he the head gate technician, he was also acting PA to the General out of his own goodwill as much as he had with Hammond. He took that part of responsibilty, mainly because his own curiosities got the better of him most of the time.

Walter had once confided to Siler, with much mirth and agreement from Siler, that he took on the responsibility because it meant he knew what was happening when others didn't. It wasn't his job to know, but it felt good to understand what teams were going through each time they went through or came back through the stargate. It also meant he got to enjoy the rush and excitement even if it was from the sidelines, and he knew that this was also something Hammond had found also.

Siler was quite happy to listen to brief small details of missions told from Walters prospective, and often told with added details of hilarity that made them into a whole new adventure all together. If Walter Harriman had a hidden talent it was story telling. On poker nights, or barbeques or general get togethers the staff of the SGC frequently held, Walter was always called upon to give a rendition of the latest attack on earth or the latest death defying miracle SG-1 had gotten themselves into and out of and his retelling always brought the house down. Had Walter been let loos in some open comedy club with his stories, he would have been headlining within weeks.

Siler glanced over the screen in-front of him, satisfied with the details it was giving him. His radio crackled.

"Done with the descent Sir"

"No problems?"

"Purring like a kitten Sir" came the reply

"Great, that's it then boys. While your down there go tell mainteanance their elevators won't be need anymore"

"Yes Sir"

"Going down Walt?"

"Yeah I best go let the General know what's what"

"I'll head down with you, have to unlock the doors on this level anyways. You on break soon?"

"Yeah, why you headed for the comm"

Siler nodded as he led the way back out of his control room.

"Think I'll join you, not sure I can face Stark yet. Everytime he's in the control room with me, I have an incourageable urge to push him through an incoming wormhole."

"Does he realise your carrying such mirth towards him?"

"The kids a nuiscance"

"Why not ask the General to have him transferred elsewhere on base"

"Because he's also a genius"

Once back at the elevator, Siler popped open the control panel and reset the doors, before slipping his keycard through the security and waiting for the carriage to come.

"So what's next on the agenda"

"Apart from putting your computer back to rights?"

Walter ignored the jobe aimed at him and watched as the doors slid open. Siler paused and stuck his head forward, for an uncertain moment remebering the near fatal crash Doctor Jackson had nearly chad with him.

"Something wrong?" asked Walter, as Siler stepped tentatively into the compartment.

"Nothing...Doctor Jackson nearly feel down the lift shaft when I was fixing it that's all"

"There are things called signs you can hang up you know" replied Walter hitting the button for his level.

"Well I figured open elevator door, no carriage equals open elevator shaft, do not enter"

"Do you take into account people like Docotor Jackson and Felger when you figure these things out?"

Siler thought for a moment as the carriage moved gently downwards.

"Next on the agenda...Signs, and perhaps alarms too. Something that shouts 'back away now' upon approach"

"Perhaps I should get something put in the control room whenever I leave Stark in there."

"This kids really getting to you ain't he" grinned Siler

"He adjusted my chair" whined Walter as the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.

The two technicians stepped out and walked along the corridor in search of the General, swapping ideas of safer ways for Siler to go about his buisness and how Walter could protect his.


	2. Walter Vents

These stories arent in any particular order or follow any particular storyline, they are all part of the 'Tale of Two Technician' stories which is why they are all bundled together. Every now and then these two people pop into my head with a little story to tell and here we are...enjoy the next installement of 'A tale of two technicians'...Walter needs to vent and Silers just the person with the right ear for the task.

* * *

"That's it I can't take it anymore"

Siler barely shifted from his hunched position over his desk as Walter entered his private little hideaway and slouched into a chair nearby. Siler fiddled a with the circuit board set before him as Walter sighed, slouched a little more into the seat and stretched his legs in front of him.

"What's on your mind Walt?" asked Siler after a few more audible irritated sighs floated over to him.

"You know my job used to be easy, I would run diagnostics, I'd set the Stargate dialling every now and then. I'd open the Iris for teams to return. You know being in charge of that thing is a pretty big deal in itself right. But no...no no no"

Breaking for a sigh Walter shifted in the chair and swivelled it around a little, swaying back and forth and pushed his glasses to the top of his brow.

"It was easier when General Hammond was around, we were more like, like a team you know. And General O'Neill, well I just thought maybe I'd have to deal with just a tiny bit more with him. You know help him sort paper work and such...You know what I was doing today...Sorting bunting...bunting. Ya know you're a gate technician one day and suddenly, you're the gate technician come personal assistant come decorator..."

Siler didn't reply, merely smiling to himself as Walter unloaded. It was a regular Walt trait. Every few months things would get a little too much, he'd come down here in the privacy if Silers confined little office/workshop and unload. Siler wondered if it was the fact that he'd listen with half and ear and slight demeanour of understanding exactly what he was talking about, or the fact Walt loved to swivel on that chair. Either way Walt found it an easy way to vent his problems and get back to work before you could say jimmy crack corn.

Walter was silent for a few moments, probably regaining some semblance of order and catching his breath. Siler waited a few more moments, setting the circuit board aside and leaning back on his own chair turning slightly to face Walt.

Walter liked to come into the small space of Silers domain and vent because Siler Siler usually stayed quiet and calm and let him do so without interruption. It worked both ways, except Siler sided on the 'take out your rage with a spanner and any cog which happens to be close by' usually hidden in the depths of a tunnel or other dotted about the SGC. Walter would happen upon a corridor where serious chinking could be heard and deduce quite quickly that something in Silers workday had gone wrong and that some piece of the inner working of the SGC was taking the brunt of said spanner.

"So bad day at the office" said Siler with a grin as he folded his arms

Walter merely pursed his lips and raised his brow causing his glasses to fall back to their correct position perched on the ridge of his nose. He swung on the chair a few times and Siler couldn't help but tease.

"So apart from all the extra work you seem to be having loaded onto you...your ok? How is your chair?"

It was a running joke entirely for Silers benefit to tease Walter at any convenient time about the odious new 'tech' who had been assigned to Walt 'tech' team in 'Command Central' as Walter so aptly named his position in the SGC. The new 'tech' a young Lieutenant Stark had managed to wedge himself neatly into Walters's bad books after continuously messing around with Walters's meticulous running of his particular position. Walter took his job very seriously and treated it with a certain dignity and respect which in turn was looked upon and respected by the other SGC personnel. Siler ran his own unit in similar ways and as much as SG teams were going through the Stargate on usually daring and dangerous missions. It was the teams such like Walters and Silers, which helped, run the whole operation. The new Lieutenant seemed to have missed the memo on this particular piece of information and had such lodged himself permanently into Walters's bad books. However as much as the Lieutenant continually irritated Walter, he understood that fact that the Lieutenants expertise was valuable to his team.

"Very funny Sly" scowled Walter, preparing himself to return to his post "You know I was all vented out but now..."

"Anytime buddy" grinned Siler as Walter stood and turned to exit Silers cherished office.

As Walter left, Siler frowned suddenly and stood, sticking his head out of the door and watching Walter as he walked away.

"Walt...your hanging bunting?" he asked dejectedly...Siler had a small penchant for decorating, an enjoyment which came in handy around special holidays when numerous SGC personnel called on his expertise to decorate their homes.

Walter paused mid-step and turned with a grin.

"Sorry Sly, the General left it in my capable hands to sort"

"But..." Siler paused and mentally kicked himself for bringing up the Stark subject. "If you let me sort it for you, it means you have time to get one with all the other jobs you have to do. Think of it as a friend helping a friend"

Walter looked serious and turned to walk away again.

"Well I'll have a think and let you know Siler"

Walter made his way to the elevators with a slight grin edging the corner of his lips leaving a dejected Handyman with the hopes of decorating.


	3. Mother never said

_(The Walter muse got into my head and heres what it had to say)_

* * *

Mother never said there would be days like these

Walter sighed and slowly made his way along the corridors of the SGC. Night shift had set in, and an eerie silence settled into the halls. He'd just finished a fifteen-hour shift, and as always it had been filled with fraught anxiety of danger and worrying. And the usual suspects had been the ones putting him through it. As he scanned his keycard through the slot of the elevator and waited for the doors to open, he rubbed his fingers into his forehead trying to relieve a little stress. It was then that he heard the familiar voices siphoning along the corridors. He begged the elevator doors to open faster, but they didn't seem to want to heed his desires and plainly stayed firmly shut.

Walter looked down the corridor of the opposite direction, wondering if he could make a swift escape, but the team was already upon him and he quietly hung his head with a dissatisfied grunt. He was quite fond of them, usually; in fact he got on quite well with them, at times. But sometimes, just sometimes, perhaps you know, once a month, he wondered whether these people could actually get the gist and cut a guy a break.

The bad luck this team carried with them seemed to have become an unwritten law. Walter was trying to judge whether it was wise to step into the elevator with all four of them. As the frontline team, SG-1 were by rights, the most endangered, and didn't Walter Harriman know it. He was the one who had to sit and send them off on their merry way, as they almost gleefully skipped through the gate looking for danger. He was the one who had to report to the General to inform him that yet again, SG-1 had not reported back as scheduled. He was the one who had to run an entirety of gate diagnostics because, yup that's right, SG-1 had managed to somehow do something to the entire gate system. He was the one who sat, (and no it wasn't a comforting thought to think the glass was bullet proof,) as Sg-1 returned guns blazing, chased by a battalion of the latest bad guy, explosions ricocheting off every wall.

He had to put up with explosions, bullets, viruses, gates disappearing, time dilations, more explosions, radio waves wreaking havoc, billions of gate diagnostics, alternate timelines, alternate universes, Goa'uld holograms, replicators, retu...the list was endless. And then there was of course, chasing the General for reports, typing up reports, running gate checks, running his tech staff, getting the Generals coffee, keeping the General on track with his schedule. Walter Harriman often wondered whether he had signed himself up for a one-man show. How come every other team was made up of four members, there he was sitting on the frontlines, one man, a single entity, numero uno.

"Walter...Walter?"

Walter looked up to see the elevator doors finally sliding open and Colonel Mitchell patted him lightly on his shoulder.

"You ok Sgt?" asked Mitchell

Walter sighed and pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose.

"Fine Sir, just been a long day"

The rest of Sg-1 ushered themselves into the elevator compartment. Walter stepped in beside them.

"Sure the hell has" agreed Mitchell, swatting a level button and watching as the doors slid closed. "What are your plans for this evening Walter?"

"Nothing Sir, quiet night at home"

"You know I was just saying to the rest of my team here earlier, we have got to have the best jobs in the world"

"Oh God" exclaimed Daniel, leaning back onto the wall of the elevator as it made its ascent "Not this conversation again"

"Yeah come on Cameron, I think you made your point"

"Oh come on people, I mean who else has this much fun"

"Fun" said Daniel, drawing out the word as if it were the first time he'd heard it. He exchanged glances with Sam and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah fun" replied Cameron "Come on Walter, agree with me here. I mean you sit all day, watching teams come and go, don't you wish to get in on the excitement now and then"

Walter stared at the elevator doors and decided it was time to ask Siler if there was any way of making them go up and down faster.

"Can't say I envy your job Sir" replied Walter in all honesty 'and I doubt you'd envy mine' he thought to himself.

"Oh come on, you've never wanted to get out there in the field. Shoot up a few bad guys, feel that adrenaline running through your veins as your chased by some psycho loon who's thinking their the new god on the block"

Walter merely side glanced the Colonel with a slight air of disdain and wished the elevator wasn't so confining.

Thankfully he was saved from replying as the other three occupants grunted in disapproval.

"I wouldn't wish 'that' on anyone" said Daniel coyly

"I fail to see how envious such a situation could be," added Teal'c.

"Are you kidding, Walter..."

"Sir," Walter interrupted as Cameron was about to go into another happy tirade about the danger of his job "I think the action this side of the gate is enough for me to deal with... Sir"

"Like what?" Cameron grinned, almost challenging the Mst Sgt to a debate about the pros and cons of each others jobs and already deciding he'd win in the danger department. "What is it you actually do Walter?"

The elevator doors slid open and the five exited the confined space, but the Colonel seemed unwilling to drop the challenge.

"Well there's setting up schedules for the General, keeping the General on his schedule. Retrieving coffee, running gate diagnostics, running my tech team. Filing reports, writing reports, retrieving reports" Walter paused for a breath before continuing "Then there's scheduling the teams. Off world teams, teams about to leave through the gate, teams reporting back through the gate. Teams due to radio in off world, when we are to radio teams off world. Keeping track of teams going through the gate to retrieve another team stranded, incapacitated or unable to return from off world for any reason. Deciphering codes, recording codes, reporting codes, reporting unauthorised off world activity, opening the iris, closing the iris."

By this time they were in the parking lot, and Walter found himself with an audience of four, standing open mouthed,(or eyebrow raised) as he routinely read out the duties he performed levels down from where they all stood. Walter hadn't even touched on alien viruses, gate problems, putting up with grumpy generals, dealing with diplomatic liaisons, putting up with gunfire and explosions, alien devices gone wrong, aliens being brought through the gate without authorisation.

Cameron Mitchell grinned and patted Walter on the shoulder again, propelling him forward into the parking lot.

"Yup like I said, best jobs in the world. You sound like you could do with a drink Walter"

"Yes Sir, your probably right"

Walter Harriman once more took his life into his own hands. Willingly going to a bar to down alcohol with SG-1 was probably not the safest of ways to spend a Friday night. However he could safely think to himself that at least these people realised he was on a frontline as much as they were.

_The End_


	4. Easter Bunnies

Walter has to explain why an object has arrived int he Generals office,an object Siler asked him to place there.

* * *

"Walter?" Walter paused midstep and held in a sigh as he spun towards the open door of General Hank Landry's office. Stepping into the doorway he eyed the General. 

"Yes Sir?"

"You wouldn't happen to know why that is in my office...would you?"

Walter followed the line of the General's arm as he pointed across his desk to the 'That' he was refferring to. Walter had to crane his neck around the door to get a better view although he already knew what the General was implying towards.

"Oh that Sir...um...well Sir you see..."

Walter was cut off mid flow by the ringing of the telephone, he paused and hoped the General would pick up. Sighing in slight relief to himself he wracked his brain for a good excuse as to why the object was in the General's office. Somehow he was unsure the honest approach would mesh, although Siler had thought it a fine enough idea.

-  
"Sly, it's a egg" "Exactly" replied Siler, grinning at the bright multicoloured large, oval shape set in front of him, set on a rounded plaque.

"You bought an egg for the General?" asked Walter with slight exasperation and eyeing the object.

"You do remember the secret easter bunny gift giving we all agreed to last poker night right?"

"I didn't think you'd take it so literally" replied Walter, poking the egg and getting his hand whacked away by Siler.

"You know how I get around holidays Walt" replied Siler, bundling the egg back into it's box.

"Yeah" replied Walter, "So why do I have to put it into his office?"

"Beacause your in his office more than the General himself. When am I ever in his office apart from when he is in there?"

Walter still didn't look happy at the prospect of placing the egg in the Generals office.

"But can't you..."

Siler stopped him mid sentence by placing the now well packed egg into Walter arms.

"Who'd you get anyways?" he asked, making sure Walter had a tight grip of the box.

"Colonel Carter" replied Walter, leaning back on the work table behind him.

"And what did you get her?" asked Siler, tweaking a few buttons on a panel before him.

"Nothing...Yet, nothing yet"

Walter regretted saying he hadn't bought the Colonel anything, Siler had a thing about holidays. Any holiday, like the kid in him just couldn't get enough. Christmas brought out the twinkle lights and visitors through the gate found it novel that christmas trees were present in the gateroom, ceilings dripped with decorations and trips in the elevators were soothed with christmas songs.

Valentines was also a marked occasion, with hearts and red banners and general secret notes and cards arrviving from so and so and such and such, and somewhere behind it all was a maintenance technician watching his plans play out before him.

Hammond had been quite happy to allow such reverie go on on the odd occasions throughout the year, finding it brought together the unity of the whole base, as well as helping de-stress the personnel. With General O'Neill being promoted to the big chair, there was no stopping the encouragement of such events. Walter hadn't had a chance to test the waters of the new General to see if he agreed to such events taking place. He assured himself that Gen O'Neill would had a word to the new commander of the base that certain events brought out a certain side of Sly Siler. Still he wasn't sure he wanted to be the gift giver between the two.

"You've got a few days yet Walt" said Siler, heading twards the door, trusty wrench in hand.

"Um Sly?" said Walter, following his friend out of the small control room.

"Yup"

"What am I supposed to tell him when he finds this thing on his desk"

"Tell him happy easter from his secret easter bunny"

"You realise that sounds...corny "

"It's an egg Walt, it is corny"

"Then why don't you give it too him"

"Because then it wouldn't be secret who his 'easter bunny' was"

Walter sulked for five seconds as the elevator descended to their level, and mused over the box, before making his musing known.

"I wonder who got Teal'c?"

-  
Walter waited, seeing as the General decided not to wave him away, and in deep thought about the multicoloured egg lighting up the left side of the Generals office, amidst echoes of wondering what on earth someone would get Teal'c on this occasion. He snapped out of his thought as the General replaced the receiver. "Well Walter?" asked the General, standing and approaching the egg with a degree of uncertainty.

Walter could come up with no other good explanation.

"Secret easter bunny Sir" he replied, trying to keep his face as straight as humanly possible.

"Huh" exclaimed Hank Landry under his breath looking it over "Seargant Siler right?"

"I'm not at liberty to say...Sir" replied Walter with the upmost respect for his commanding officer but not wanting to break the most sacred of secret 'santa/easter bunny/cupid/pumpkin' rules Siler had set up for the occasions he so enjoyed to celebrate.

"I got Teal'c a hat" said the General turning to Walter with a straight face.

"Sir?" asked Walter not following the General.

"A hat" replied the General "General O'Neill suggested it, something about Easter bonnets, hats"

The General waved in the general direction of his head as he spoke.

"Oh" replied Walter catching on and unable to think of a response to the statement."Anything else Sir?"

"No" replied the General, glancing over at the egg again.

Walter made his escape as the General mused over his egg and ponderings of Tealc's hat and made his way to level sixteen, on a mission to let Siler know the General seemed impressed by his gift.

finis


End file.
